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The UFC recently held their Hall of Fame ceremony, which saw a new class of legends take their rightful place. A category that's become a welcomed addition has been the fight wing, which allows fighters an opportunity to get inducted based on an incredible performance. This year’s addition to the fight category was the light heavyweight bout between then-champion Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson.
After Jones-Gustafsson took its rightful place, fans speculated which bout should be considered for next year’s Hall of Fame. Throughout the 28-year history of the UFC, there’ve been many fights worthy of Hall of Fame recognition. Many title fights over the years haven’t lived up to the hype, while others have far exceeded expectations and become timeless for MMA fans.
This list will look at 5 UFC title fights that will undoubtedly be considered in the coming years.
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#5. Anderon Silva vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 117
Kicking off this list is the UFC middleweight championship bout between then-champion Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen.
Silva was so dominant at the time that this fight looked too easy for him. Silva’s most recent title defense saw him completely bulldoze Demian Maia on-route to a unanimous decision win. Following the fight, it was announced that Silva’s next opponent would be Chael Sonnen.
Sonnen took advantage of the extra media exposure and insulted Silva every chance he could get during the buildup. It was understandable why Silva was the favorite, but Sonnen would end up shocking the MMA world with his performance.
‘The American Gangster’ took the fight to Silva as soon as the first bell sounded. Rather than weathering the champion’s strikes early on like past challengers, Sonnen dropped Silva with a punch and controlled him on the ground.
Sonnen was close to shocking the world that night and becoming the new UFC middleweight champion. He managed to take down Silva in every round and was one round away from becoming the new champion. Sonnen continued with ground-and-pound in round five, but Silva found an opening and locked in a triangle choke.
Silva had lost the previous four rounds but ended up submitting Sonnen at 3:10 of the fifth-round to retain his title. The fight is still talked about as one of the greatest middleweight fights in UFC history.
#4. Israel Adesanya vs. Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236
Arguably the greatest middleweight championship bout in UFC history comes in at the fourth spot on this list. Although it was for the interim championship, it's still a title fight worthy of a Hall of Fame induction.
For almost a decade, Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen's first bout was undoubtedly the most incredible middleweight championship bout. That all changed in 2019 when Israel Adesanya and former TUF winner Kelvin Gastelum fought.
The two middleweight contenders competed for the interim-middleweight championship in the main event at UFC 236. The winner of the fight would earn the opportunity to challenge then-champion Robert Whittaker to unify the belts.
Adesanya vs. Gastelum did not disappoint. In fact, it proved Adesanya could deal with adversity and find a way to win. Whatever criticism Adesanya may have received prior to the bout, he certainly put all that to rest with his performance.
It was an excellent back-and-forth fight at times, but Adesanya ended up getting his hand raised. 'The Last Stylebender' won the interim middleweight championship by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the bout 48-46. To this day, this fight remains Adesanya's toughest test inside the octagon.
#3. Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 2 at UFC 125
Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard kicked off 2011 with a spectacular main event at UFC 125. This was a rematch of their bout two years prior, which saw Maynard win via unanimous decision. Then-UFC lightweight champion Edgar was looking to avenge the only loss of his career.
It didn't look like the fight would last very long as Maynard dropped Edgar in the opening moments. Maynard poured on the punches, but the referee chose not to stop the fight. 'The Bully' was in disbelief that the referee didn't stop the fight after knocking Edgar down on multiple occasions.
Edgar responded in the second round by landing a combination and slamming Maynard. The champion ended up winning the round and completely shifted the momentum of the fight.
After a five-round war, the judges ruled the fight a draw, which resulted in Edgar retaining the title. One judge scored it 48-46 for Edgar, another judge scored it 48-46 for Maynard, and the final judge scored it 47-47.
Edgar and Maynard would compete in a trilogy bout later that year at UFC 136. This time, Edgar won the fight by fourth-round knockout to finally avenge his only career loss at the time. Based on what transpired, there's no denying that Edgar vs. Maynard 2 should be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
#2. Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248
Another UFC title fight that should be inducted into the Hall of Fame is perhaps the greatest women's MMA fight of all time. UFC 248's co-main event between then-strawweight champion Zhang Weili and challenger Joanna Jedrzejczyk completely stole the show.
The UFC matchmakers did an excellent job setting this fight up as their styles led to one of the greatest title fights of all time. Jedrzejczyk was looking to capture the strawweight championship for the second time in her career. During her reign as strawweight champion, Jedrzejczyk defended the title five times, which is still the record for the division.
Then-champion Zhang Weili was looking to create a legacy of her own in the division. At the time, the champion's only loss came in her MMA debut, and she had won 20 straight fights since then.
Weili vs. Jedrzejczyk was an excellent display of striking, with both women having to go through their fair share of adversity. It was no easy task for the judges as both women were evenly matched. After a thrilling five-round slugfest, Weili won via split decision to earn her first successful title defense. The judges scored the fight 48-47, 47-48, and 48-47 in favor of Weili.
#1. Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald 2 at UFC 189
It shouldn't be up for debate if this fight should be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Considering the recent bouts inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame featured active fighters, Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald 2 could soon be inducted. Lawler, 39, still competes in the UFC, while MacDonald, 32, competes in the PFL.
The fight was the co-main event of UFC 189 back in July 2015. Many fans not only consider Lawler vs. MacDonald 2 the most incredible title fight in UFC history but also the greatest fight to have ever taken place in the promotion.
Lawler vs. MacDonald 2 was an epic battle between the top welterweights at the time. Then-UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler was making his first title defense and looking to establish his reign. Standing in his way was Rory MacDonald, whom he had defeated by unanimous decision at UFC 167.
MacDonald stunned Lawler with a head kick and followed that up with a flurry of strikes. However, the champion eventually regrouped and began getting the better of MacDonald, finally finishing him in the fifth round. It's safe to say both fighters weren't the same after this fight as they left everything in the octagon.
